Twitter wants to know if its image cropping algorithm has biases, and it is asking for the help of researchers and hackers.
The social media company will hand out cash prizes to the winners of its competition.
Every team that joins will receive access to the company's code and image cropping model to identify ways that the algorithm could be harmful to the user.
Twitter to Hold a Competition for Hackers
Hackers who will join the competition are required to submit a complete dataset of their findings. Once submitted, Twitter will run the dataset through its algorithm to demonstarte the findings.
Twitter will assign points to each group based on what kind of harm is discovered and how much could affect people using the app.
Winners will get $3,500, and participants will be given an additional $1000 if their findings are innovative.
However, the public is not happy with the cash prices, pointing out that it is not enough.
Also Read : Twitter's New Initiative to Assess Unintentional Harm and Bias on The Platform Brought by its Algorithm
Twitter would usually pay anyone who fixes the bug on the app $2,940. Meanwhile, those who find an OAuth issue will be paid $7,700.
In May, Twitter has done its research regarding its algorithm. It even published a paper posted by The Verge investigating how the app's algorithm was biased after numerous complaints said that the crops were racist.
Twitter had phased out image cropping on Android and iOS smartphones, but it is still available on the desktop version. Launching a competition lets the social media company get fresh perspectives.
Twitter Spaces Update
Aside from the competition for its image cropping algorithm, Twitter also announced that it would update its most successful feature: Spaces.
The company said that it would update its iOS app with a new layout for viewing. It will also make managing Spaces easier for users with new options for sharing the audio conversations.
According to 9to5 Mac, a "Compose Tweet" button will soon be available in Spaces. This means that users will be able to tweet the link of the Spaces in progress with just one tap.
Although it was already possible to share the link to an ongoing Spaces before, it required a few taps, which is time-consuming.
The social media company also announced that it had updated guest management in Spaces. Spaces can now separate the current speakers from the user who has requested to talk.
The controls for the participants in Spaces have been moved to the top, so they are easier to access, according to The National News.
To get all of these new features and updates, you need to make sure that your Twitter app is up to date by installing the latest version on your phone. The Spaces feature is available on Android and iOS smartphones, but it is not accessible in the iPad app yet.
Twitter is constantly looking for new ways to improve its site. After introducing the feature, the social media company announced that it is currently working on letting users speak in an audio conversation using the desktop version of Spaces.
The company also said it would soon launch a feature that will allow you to shop while browsing the app.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Sophie Webster
